Phone call from school; they’re ’not medically trained’ ?!

[mommalaulau]

Dd1 (13) went to school this morning as normal. All fine.

Phone call around 11 from the first aider to say she had “spots on her left cheek and they’re itchy”. I asked if it was hives, they said no. They wanted me to go up, get her, take her to the chemist to “get her checked and give her some antihistamine” and then bring her back to school.

I got there just expecting her to have literally a spot or two and her being over dramatic, she’s a teenager! But she has a cheek of hives and it’s also behind her ears, bottom of her neck and on her forehead. I immediately said to the first aider that it was hives, and she just gave me a smug look as if to say “you’re not trained what do you know”.
I took her straight to the chemist and he said it was definitely hives, for her to take some antihistamine immediately (which he actually went out and got and dosed and gave her) and to keep and eye on her for the rest of the day as she doesn’t know what caused it. He also said it is very concerning the school first aider couldn’t recognise hives and I should question that.

I called school when we returned home to let them know she wasn’t going back in for the afternoon as I was going to be keeping an eye on her, and whoever answered the phone said “yes of course that’s completely understandable”.
I then mentioned I was concerned that I was told it wasn’t hives. I said if a child with a known allergy presented with hives as their first reaction before anaphylaxis and a first aider didn’t recognise it that’s extremely worrying. I was told that they’re “not medically trained” but they’ll pass the message on. When they told me this I said surely, for allergy reasons, they must know how hives present? And I just kept getting that they’re “not medically trained”.

Does anybody think I need to take this any further or should I just leave it at this with whoever I spoke with? My DD is luckily ok and her itching has gone down but the hives are still slightly up, we have no idea what’s caused it.

I used to get hives when pregnant, my daughter usd to get them a lot too. They looked nothing like that. I’m not sure what the big deal is here?

They did what they could. It's not their job to diagnose. They recommended you take her to someone that could. That's the end of it. You've got no grounds to complain

I would rather get a call from school expressing some level of concern asking me to get child diagnosed rather that an amateur diagnosis.

Doesn't really look like hives to me but the school called you, described itchy spots and asked you to collect.
I've done 2 day first aid training, same as a school first aider, and it didn't include looking through various presentations of hives.

Schools don’t like taking g responsibility.

As much as I don’t agree I also don't blame them.

A first aider is also there to be first to aid. So stop bleeding, stabilise a limb or provide CPR. They can administer an EpiPen which if she carried one and they suspected allergy they would have done.

When my ds who did have an EpiPen got covered in hives and asked his school (infants) for anti histamine they refused. By the time he got home they were at his neck from his legs and they said they’d administer EpiPen with signs of anaphylaxis but not anti histamines on request despite a care plan. It’s because he took them daily and was prescribed as having more if needed. They even insisted on 2 identical bottles of received anti histamine one for daily use and one for emergencies .

I didn't agree but I persuaded my GP who also thought it was nuts to give me the separate prescriptions.

I just had the one bottle for all uses at home!

School first aiders should not be diagnosing anything, they should get the parent to come and get the child treated, or call an ambulance if necessary. They did the right thing.

If a child has a severe and known allergy, then the first aiders will know about this anyway and would still contact the parent asap. In these instances, first aiders would be trained in how to use an epipen if thats what the child has prescribed, and they may also have antihistamines kept in school.
I would also expect a child in secondary school to know they have an allergy and to let the first aiders know!
Does your child have a severe allergy?

This is it exactly it

there's nothing to say in your email

they did the right thing.

Could be the photo but those don't look like typical hives and if they are they are very mild. You'd expect to see raised, very itchy red welts often with a white center. More harm is done by people who aren't medically qualified having a go at diagnosing something than people suggesting you go and see someone who knows what they are doing. You are really overestimating the role of a first aider. They acted safely and in a timely fashion to help your daughter with a minor problem. I'd be thanking them.

What annoying you here? You had to go in an deal with your own daughter? Because there's nothing else that it could be.

The first aiders did exactly what school first aiders is supposed to do. She contacted you, and suggested an action (which you did and it sorted the problem).

If the same situation had occurred in the situation you're apparently worried about, it would be handled differenlt to your daughter's sitatuo, due to your daughter not having a serve allergy and having, from what looks on the photo you've posted, a cheek of spots.

Also what were the words that accompanied the so called "smug look that" apparently meant “you’re not trained what do you know”.

Your dd is very identifiable in the photo you have posted. I’d get that removed.

The school did the right thing- called you and advised you to get medical advice/ treatment if needed.

They don't look like typical hives to me and I have a DS with food allergies and have seen lots of hives. But hives or not, they still did everything they needed.

People love it when schools are 'wrong' about something, this is reading a bit "ner ner na ner ner" to me...

Frankly I’m amazed that the school sent her home for a handful of itchy spots, or indeed that she went to a first aider.

Personally, I wouldn't want school staff attempting to diagnose my child anyway. A known condition with a clear care plan in place, fair enough, I'd be happy for them to follow it. But other than that I want them to contact me, or in an emergency situation, an ambulance. School staff aren't health care professionals and I wouldn't want them trying to be.

Ds2 had hives several times as a child. They never looked anything like that.

That photo doesn’t look like hives to me, but in any event I don’t understand what your issue is. The first aider contacted you and asked you to collect your child and seek medical advice. They even suggested the very course of action you took. A first aider is not a diagnostician, that’s why they suggested you go and see someone who is.

Was going to say the same thing- ask MN to remove the pic

im glad you recognise you have over reacted — schools can’t diagnose a specific issue and imagine if they tried! ‘School said my child had hives but it was chicken pox - can I sue them?’

Well they’re not medically trained are they? What did you expect them to do? They can’t dispense antihistamines themselves and they called you asap. Any child with a serious allergy should have a specific personal care plan in place

Not unless the parents have said so/provided them.

Not out of the blue, without consent previously given.

and she just gave me a smug look

That tells me everything I need to know about your opinion of her.

First aiders are trained in first aid. Stopping bleeding, cleaning a cut that kind of stuff not diagnosing illnesses. Your child had a medical problem you were called. What exactly is your issue.

You asked if it was hives. They said no. Because to them it doesn’t look like hives.

it doesn’t look like the hives my son gets when he has an allergic reaction. What level of medical training do you exact them to have? Or do you expect a school to pay a doctor to be on site?

They did what they needed to do. Contacted you and gave you the advice to take her to be seen. It was the right advice

I don't understand the issue. School.staff are not doctors, they noticed a problem phoned you and asked you to take her for medical medical advice. Surely they did the right thing?

I'm a first aider and hives weren't included in the training. The school did exactly as they should and contacted you.
You should probably hire a doctor for the school in order for your expectations to be met.

School First Aid / Nurse can be a bit hit and miss.

We had a call from School saying my son had fell, but was fine and they were going to let him miss PE, just to keep a eye on him when he got home. I got in from Work took one look, straight to A&E and his arm was broken - Clean snap straight through the bone and his arm was misaligned. Needed a operation to straighten the break.

I think they're damned if they do and damned if they don't in this kind of situation. If they commit to 'it is hives' and they are wrong about that, they are damned. If they say 'it is not hives' and it is hives, again, damned.

Hope it clears up soon, OP. My ds once had an allergic reaction like this but over his entire body. Took antihistamine for a few days and it cleared up. No idea what caused it but it did happen in the summer. I am a very allergic-y person, myself.